Create a Budget and Stick To It

Having a budget makes all of the difference when taking control over your finances. We all claim to be "on a budget", but have we taken the time to actually sit down and create one? Furthermore, once we have a written budget, we often fail to stick to it. I want to encourage you to create a budget and track your expenses for 30 days. Like any good habit, it will take work and determination to see it through, but at the end of the 30 days, your finances will be in much better shape!

My husband and I sat down a few months ago and created our budget. We downloaded an excel template from Microsoft and went to work. Believe me, there were many other things we would have rather done with our time, but this was necessary to get us back on track. We had goals for our future, but no extra money to accomplish them. After our session, we had a clear view of how we could set aside money every month. Now we spend about five minutes a day thinking about our budget and plan. This is worth the hundreds of dollars we have saved since.

I will share with you how we set up our budget and how we stuck to it.

1. Create a ModernDebtRelief.com account. It's free and easy to join.

2. Download the budget sheet from the tools tab of ModernDebtRelief.com's member menu.

3. Open the budget sheet in Miscrosoft Office Excel.

4. Fill out the actual cost for your expenses first.

5. Look at the actual balance and decide how you will raise that amount. That is how much you will have left at the end of the month after all of your bills are paid.

6. Click the 'Action Items' tab on the bottom of the sheet.

7. Write down the steps you can take to lower your bills (e.g. consolidate your phone, cable, and internet bills for a lower monthly payment)

8. Click the 'Monthly Budget' tab on the bottom of the sheet.

9. Fill in the projected costs with the new amount of your expenses will be once you implement the action items.

The 'Total Savings' reflected in red will show how much you save with your projected changes.

10. Spend the next day or two implementing the one-time-only actions on your list (e.g. switching your cable plan) I recommend that you add your actions to your short term goal list on ModernDebtRelief.com and remove them when you have completed the action.

11. Don't remove the daily tasks that you have assigned yourself (e.g. cutting down your eating out budget)from your short term goals list. It is beneficial to see your goals daily to keep you on track.

12. Keep your goals with you and track your spending in the different categories. The way that we keep track of our spending is with our cell phones. Nearly everyone has one these days and it is an easy way to keep notes. Write Your goals in the notepad of your phone and edit it as the month goes along. You spend $10 eating out. Note it, and deduct it from your monthly limit.

Do this for 30 days and watch the savings pile up. Use it to pay off debt or achieve other goals. Afterall, that is what we are here for. Let me know how it works out.

Go Green and Save!

Besides the economic woes of the day, we always hear the buzz words "Going Green". It seems like all of the major companies are doing it. For many of us, putting one more thing on our to-do lists is just not practical. But there a some simple things that you can do that will save you money and help the environment. Add one onto your routine weekly and you will hardly notice the effort, but it will be well worth the savings. I am going to share with you some simple ways to "Go Green" and save money while you're at it!

Get to Know Your Local Farmer
I visited Tanaka Farms, an organic farm in my area, with my son last week. We took a tour on a wagon, ate fresh veggies and picked strawberries off the vine. We loved it. We saved money buying locally grown produce, it was safer to eat without the harsh chemicals and pesticides, and it tasted SO GOOD! Buying directly from the farm what was in season was much cheaper than buying organic at the grocery store.
Check out http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ to see if your area has Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). You buy directly from the farms and have a weekly share of the produce each week. This will save you even more.

Home-Made Beauty Products
Oh how I love a trip to the spa! Unfortunately it does not agree with my budget. Your skin, hair, and nails do not have to suffer. Pamper yourself at home! Look up home made beauty products and break out the eggs, yogurt, and olive oil. It is fun and nearly free. I'll post a few simple recipes that I found below:

Hair:
1. Hot Oil Treatment: 1 cup organic olive oil (use more or less depending on hair length)
This is the simplest and most effective remedies to dry hair and you can do it often. Before shampooing, massage the olive oil into your hair and wrap it in a towel for 20-30 minutes.

2. Hair Moisture Mix
1 1/2 cups of plain organic yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 organic egg yolk
1/4 tsp organic olive oil
Mix the ingredients in a glass bowl until it reached a creamy consistency. Apply generously to your hair, starting at the scalp. Massage into your hair and scalp. Discard any left over mask (or use it to massage your hands). Leave the mixture on for around twenty minutes.


Soft Hand and Feet:
1. Socks + Lotion = Soft Feet
Favorite Natural Lotion or Coconut Oil
Saran Wrap or towel
Pair of old warm sock
After a warm shower, slather your hands with your favorite natural lotion or coconut oil. Wrap your hands with either saran wrap or a very thin tea towel. Pull on a sock on each hand and relax for 5-10 minutes.

Recycle
I have a special trash bin for this. So I have no excuse not to recycle. I gather up my plastic bottles, cartons, and cardboard and stick them in the bin with the grey lid. It is as easy as it could be and I feel good separating out my recyclables.

No More Bottled Water!
This is just terrible for the environment, and in many cases, we are drinking bottled tap water and paying 100x more for it. Buy a water filter like Brita, or drink from the fridge. You will save money and help the world.

Bag It Up the Green Way
When grocery shopping, consider bagging your own groceries in cloth, reusable bags. I keep my "green" shopping bags in my trunk. I admit, I forgot to bring them into the store or back out to my car many times. But when I do use them on my shopping trip instead of the plastic bags, I feel so accomplished. You may end up spending less if you know your space is limited. Just maybe. :)

Turn Up the Savings
Raising your thermostat a few degrees this summer can make a significant impact on your wallet. In the winter lower your thermostat three degrees. You'll hardly notice the difference until your bill comes! Whenever possible, use a fan.

A Clean Commute
With the cost of gas these day I recommend that you arrange a carpool, use public transportation or bike to work. Better yet, Telecommute if possible. You'll be surprised at how much you can get done with no distractions. I telecommute 4 days out of the week and LOVE IT.
If you must drive, improve your gas mileage by keeping your tires inflated and driving the speed limit.

That's should be plenty to get started with... let me know how it goes, and share your tips for going green and saving money.

ModernDebtRelief.com

ModernDebtRelief.com has pre-screened all agencies that offer services to our members. This eliminates the hassle of searching high and low to find the right company to serve you and your family. This article outlines the top reasons to become a member of our debt relief service network.

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